Academic Policies

1.  Philosophy

At Burgess-Peterson Academy (BPA) we believe that assessment provides the basis of informed teaching, helping students to overcome difficulties and ensuring that teaching builds upon what has been learned. It is also how students understand what they have achieved and what they need to work on. Assessments should be authentic, valid, and fair. They should measure the mastery of skills, concepts, and content that students have learned.

 

2.  Purpose

The purpose of this policy is:

• To raise the standards of achievement throughout the school
• To maintain accurate records of the progress and attainment of students’ goals
• To ensure consistency in assessing achievement and identifying achievable and challenging targets for each student
• To enable the active involvement of students in their learning
• To enable teachers and other professionals to use assessment judgments to plan work that accurately reflects the needs of individual students
• To provide regular information for parents that enables them to support their child’s learning
• To provide information that allows school leaders to make judgments about the effectiveness of the school and to evaluate the school’s performance against its previous attainment over time and against national standards

 

3.  Types of Assessment

At Burgess-Peterson Academy, we use a combination of formative and summative assessment as outlined below:

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is a powerful way of raising students’ achievement. Formative assessments create a positive learning environment where children can see the steps necessary for their success. It enables teachers to set appropriate work at the level necessary for the children’s continuing progress. It is based on the principle that students will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning and are constantly aware of their progress.

Formative assessments are used to:

• identify children’s strengths and gaps in their skills/knowledge
• identify next steps for learning
• inform future planning
• enable appropriate strategies to be utilized
• facilitate the setting of appropriate targets for the class, group, and individual
• track the child’s rate of progress
• facilitate an evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and learning
• inform future teaching and learning strategies
• identify individuals and groups for specific intervention support.

 

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is important for informing parents and teachers of a child’s attainment and progress. This will also inform the whole school target setting and prediction of future attainment.

Summative assessments are important for accurate information regarding a child’s attainment and progress. Summative assessments evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement after a defined instructional period—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year.

Summative assessments are used to:

• identify attainment through standardized tests at any given point in time
• record performance in a specific area on a specific date
• provide age-standardized information
• provide end of key stage test data against which the school will be judged
• provide information about areas of strength and weakness to build from in the future

 

4.  How We Assess Practices:

Effective assessment practices include:

• assessment of students’ prior knowledge
• formative assessment tasks
• summative assessment tasks
• transparency—criteria for learning tasks are clear and known in advance by students, teachers, and parents (rubrics, etc.)
• utilizing a range of assessment tools
• expression of different points of view and interpretations
• monitoring and assessing student progress in the five essential elements—skills, attitudes, concepts, knowledge, and student-initiated action
• monitoring and assessing student progress with the Learner Profile including student self- and peer-assessment
• creating rich tasks that cater to a variety of learning styles, multiple intelligences, and differing abilities (differentiated products and performances)
• gathering evidence from which sound conclusions can be drawn
• ensuring student progress and performance are assessed in both the subject domains and the units of inquiry
• creating grade-level grading policies to ensure consistency
• documentation of student success, growth, ability and creativity through methods such as use of student portfolios
• providing opportunities to support and celebrate student learning
• utilizing collaborative planning to build tools, reflect on implemented strategies, and share and analyze data

Strategies:

• observations
• performance assessments
• selected responses (These might include multiple choice, true: false, matching, short answer, fill-in items.)
• open-ended tasks
• reflections
• self- and peer-assessment

Tools:

• rubrics—criteria and range
• checklists—criteria
• anecdotal records
• standardized tests
• benchmarks
• grade level common assessments
• student portfolios

 

5.    Reporting—feedback on student progress

Burgess-Peterson Academy provides meaningful feedback consistently to students, parents, and community members via student and parent conferences, midterm progress reports, quarterly report cards, and sharing overall school assessment data on year-end state assessments.

Reports will:

• be timely (Weekly Updates in Infinite Campus)
• be provided every 4 ½ and 9 weeks (Quarter 1 and 3 Parent Conferences)
• deal with academic and non-academic learning
• be in plain language to be readily understood by parents and guardians
• be followed by an opportunity for discussion between the child, parents/guardians, and teacher

 

6.  Rights and Responsibilities

All members of the BPA learning community, including students, parents, teachers, and instructional leaders, have the right to be informed of the expectations and process of assessment at BPA. Continuous reporting and feedback will take place during conferences and/or meetings between teachers-parents, teachers-students, instructional leaders-teachers, and instructional leaders-parents to ensure awareness of student progress. By engaging this way, parents will have the responsibility of seeking an understanding of their student(s)’ progress and areas of support. This will allow for students to be accountable for their progress as well.

The following BPA learning community members will be responsible for communicating and implementing the policy and ensuring that assessments are fair and valid:

• BPA Instructional Faculty & Staff BPA Testing Coordinator
• BPA Secondary Testing Coordinator MTSS Specialist
• IB Instructional Coach Literacy Instructional Coach Math Instructional Coach

 

7.  Review

This policy is subject to annual review under the direction of the PYP coordinator and the BPA Pedagogical Leadership Team. Adjustments will be made based on changes and improvements to lessons, curriculum, district, and state initiatives. The team will also review the policy to make sure it remains in alignment with the IB philosophy and guidelines.

 

Appendix 1: School Assessment Schedule

 

Content Focus	ASSESSMENT	FREQUENCY
Reading	NWEA MAP Growth-Reading	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
	NWEA MAP Fluency	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
	DIBELS-Grades K-2 & CORE Phonics Inventory	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
	GA Milestones Grades 3-5	SPRING
Writing	NAEP (4th Grade Only)	WINTER
	GA Milestones Grades 3-5	SPRING
	Write Score-Grades 3-5	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
Math	NWEA MAP Growth-Math	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
	GA Milestones Grades 3-5	SPRING
	Formative Math Assessments	THROUGHOUT EACH MODULE: MID AND END
	Reflex Math Fluency Platform	CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR
Social Studies	Units of Inquiry Summative Assessments	CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR
	Grade Level Benchmark Assessments	CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR
Science	Units of Inquiry Summative Assessments	CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR
	Grade Level Benchmark Assessments	CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR
	GA Milestones--Grade 5 Only	SPRING
Intervention	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt-Reading & Phonics Inventory	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt-Do the Math Module Assessments	AT THE END OF EACH MODULE
Other	Kindergarten: GKids-State of Georgia Kindergarten Readiness Assessment	FALL, WINTER, SPRING
	Low Incidence Special Education Units: Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA)	SPRING

 

Philosophy/Purpose

Burgess-Peterson Academy aims to provide an inclusive environment where all students have access to and a right to participate in an IB education. The purpose of this policy is to guarantee these rights and outline how barriers to teaching and learning can be removed and/or reduced. It is our goal to strive towards meeting the needs of all our learners academically, socially, and emotionally. In doing so, we recognize the diverse backgrounds of all our learners.

The IB’s Access and Inclusion Manual states the purpose of this policy to be as follows:

1.10 The purpose of this policy is to support the practice of access and inclusion in IB schools to enable all students to participate fully in learning, teaching, and assessment (formative and summative) by reducing and removing barriers using appropriate and well-planned access arrangements. This policy follows the whole-school approach to inclusion, where all educators are involved in access and inclusion, and it is not only the work of the learning support teacher/team…

 Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Public Schools’ vision for Comprehensive Student Support Services is as follows:

All schools in the Atlanta Public School System will implement a comprehensive, culturally responsive, school-wide system of support to meet the needs of every student, improve equitable outcomes, and close achievement gaps.

Local, State, and Federal Laws

BPA will follow and implement all local, state, and federal laws regarding educational support for students. This includes the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA), and state mandates around the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) approach and the Early Intervention Program (EIP) (see below).

MTSS/SST/RTI

BPA utilizes a MTSS when determining the needs of students which includes Response to Intervention (RTI) and the Student Support Team (SST).

Tier 1-General grade level education/curriculum provided to all students including the PYP Units of Inquiry.
Tier 2-Intervention is provided to students who still show a need for support after receiving Tier 1 instruction.
Tier 3-Students who have not shown enough progress with the interventions provided at Tier 2 are identified for the SST process. They receive intensive intervention and support in their area of need.
Tier 4-Students who have been assessed and have qualified for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These students include students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and Gifted and Talented students.

Special Education/IEPs

Each student who has a qualifying disability is provided with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that has been developed by a collaborative process involving the school, parents, and other relevant personnel.

Effective IEPs are individualized, child-centered, inclusive, and accessible. The IEP outlines teaching strategies, resources, and supports necessary for the student to achieve their goals. A few of the services that are provided based on the IEP:

1. Co- teaching within the general education classroom
2. Supportive instruction within the general education classroom
3. Consult services
4. Small group instruction
5. Self-contained classes

BPA provides a continuum of services designed to meet the needs and learning styles of individual learners.

EIP (GA Senate Bill 59)

Students identified to need additional support at the Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 levels can be provided services via the Early Intervention Program (EIP). These students have scored in the bottom 25 percentile on our district reading and math screener (NWEA MAP Assessment) and/or Level 1 on the state of Georgia’s End of Grade assessment, the Georgia Milestones (GMAS). They receive support in reading and/or math from either their homeroom teacher during differentiated, small group instruction or intervention pull-out/push-in teachers. The Georgia Department of Education has approved the following delivery models for EIP services:

1. Self-contained
2. Pull-out
3. Class Augmentation
4.  Reading Recovery
5.  Innovative

BPA utilizes a mix of models. We have self-contained EIP classrooms where students receive evidence-based interventions within a reduced class size to allow for focused, targeted instruction in reading and math for a small group of EIP students. We also utilize the class augmentation model where evidence-based interventions are incorporated into the general classroom setting using co-teaching instructional practices by providing an additional teacher. This also reduces the teacher/pupil ratio while providing EIP services.

Gifted and Talented

BPA believes in teaching the whole child and meeting the needs of all our diverse learners. We are in accordance with APS and the GADOE with regards to providing services to our gifted population.

APS believes that “Through advocacy and innovation, the unique needs of gifted and talented students will be recognized, valued, and nurtured so their inspired minds are equipped to change the world.”

Georgia Board Rule 160-4-2-.38 says that the state of Georgia defines a gifted and talented student as one who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her ability(ies).

At BPA, approximately 75 of our students have been identified as Gifted and Talented based on multiple measures of creativity, motivation, and cognitive ability. These students are provided services by our Gifted Lead Teacher and/or their homeroom teacher(s) who are credentialed to serve the needs of students who are identified as gifted. BPA uses the cluster model (where gifted students are “clustered” together in homerooms where the teacher is appropriately credentialed) in grades 1-4 and the resource model in 5^th grade only.

These 5^th graders receive support in the classroom of our Gifted Lead Teacher. The 2023/2024 school year marks the end of the Resource Model at BPA. Over the past four years, we’ve worked to increase the number of homeroom teachers who are credentialed to support gifted learners. We now have sixteen teachers who are “gifted endorsed.” Two additional teachers are working to complete their credentials this school year. By the end of this school year, there will be at least one gifted endorsed teacher at every grade level.

Collaborative Partners

At BPA, we work together to meet the needs of our students including those with special needs, gifted and talented students, and our English Language Learners with all necessary supports in place. This will include the coordination of the following:

General Education Classroom Teachers
Special Education Classroom Teachers
MTSS/SST/504 Specialist
Special Education Lead Teacher
Gifted Lead Teacher
Instructional Coaches
School Counselor
School Psychologist
School Social Worker
Parents & Students
Administrative Team

Inclusion Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed and updated annually by BPA’s Pedagogical Leadership Team. As local, state, and federal laws and policies change, they will be updated here as well.

Plan of Communication

All BPA Instructional Policies will be shared with teachers, students, and parents each year. They will be made available on the BPA school website and hardcopies will be available in the main office. The policies will also be shared during school governance team meetings and during PTA meetings.

 

Sources

IBO Access and Inclusion Policy Manual: https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/new-structure/programmes/dp/pdfs/access-and-inclusion-policy-en.pdf
Parkside Elementary School Inclusion Policy

Beecher Hills Elementary School Inclusion Policy
 

Georgia Department of Education: https://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Early-Intervention-Program.aspx

Philosophy/Purpose

At Burgess-Peterson Academy (BPA), academic honesty is a critical piece to the teaching and learning process. We believe that academic integrity is the responsibility of everyone in our BPA community-teachers, students, and families to engage in the process by approaching our learning with honesty, trust, and fairness.

According to the IB’s Academic Integrity Policy guidebook, it is expected that all IB students understand:

• their responsibility for producing authentic and genuine individual and group work
• how to correctly attribute sources, acknowledging the work and ideas of others
• the responsible use of information technology and social media
• how to observe and adhere to ethical and honest practice during examinations.

The purpose of this policy is to outline the ways in which we can teach, model, demonstrate and encourage academic integrity.

Academic Misconduct (*See IB Academic Integrity Manual linked below)

The following types of academic misconduct defined below will not be tolerated at BPA. It is the expectation that all students will present their own work in an honest manner.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as copying written or oral work from outside sources or peers and presenting them as your own.

Examples include but are not limited to:

• Copying from books or the internet without citing
• Representing others’ work as your own
• Copying from multiple sources to piece together and present as your own work

Cheating: Cheating is the use of materials, information, notes, study guides etc. to gain an unfair advantage on an assessment or task.

Examples include but are not limited to:

• Obtaining answers inappropriately and using them on an assessment
• Providing answers to others for an assessment
• Copying answers from another student during an assessment

**(i.e., Accelerated Reader online assessments-finding answers)

Collusion: Collusion is when students work together to complete an academic task that should have been completed independently.

Examples include but are not limited to:

• Allowing others to copy your work and turn it in as theirs
• Completing a task/paper for another student
• Not completing your fair share of the work in a collaborative setting

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Teachers	Familiarize yourself with and understand the school’s Academic Integrity policy. Adhere to the guidelines set forth by the policy as a model to students. Provide opportunities for learning and practicing the policy. Ensure that students have a full understanding of what the policy is and represents. Ensure that students have a full understanding of academic misconduct. Provide manageable workloads and goals for students to help avoid misconduct. Report any instances of misconduct.
Students	Understand the Academic Integrity Policy. Engage in all learning experiences with a principled approach. Adhere to the guidelines and rules outlined in the policy. Respond to misconduct by reporting an instance. Complete assignments, tasks, and assessments in an honest manner and to the best of their ability. Abstain from giving and receiving non-permitted assistance on any academic activities. Be accountable for your online actions, including social media.
Parents	Familiarize yourself with, understand, and agree with BPA’s Academic Integrity Policy. Reinforce and encourage the expectations of the policy at home. Understand academic misconduct and provide guidance to your child(ren). Report any instance of misconduct.
School	It is the responsibility of the school/programme coordinator to embed the Academic Integrity Policy in our school’s culture. Provide guidance for the teachers on the policy. Communicate the policy and expectations to parents and legal guardians. Ensure compliance with the policy. Allow for updates and reviews of the policy. Report any academic misconduct.

 

Consequences:

Each instance of academic misconduct or infraction against BPA’s Academic Integrity policy will be handled on a case-by-case basis. The first instance of academic misconduct will be handled between the teacher and the student and be used as an opportunity to redirect and reteach the expectations that the students did not abide by. The school counselor and/or parents/legal guardians may also be involved. When appropriate, school administration may be included in the execution of consequences.

 

Plan of Communication:

All BPA Instructional Policies will be shared with teachers, students, and parents each year. They will be made available on the BPA school website and hardcopies will be available in the main office. The policies will also be shared during school governance team meetings and during PTA meetings.

 

Review of the Academic Integrity Policy:

This policy will be reviewed and updated annually by BPA’s Pedagogical Leadership Team. Opportunities for input from the greater BPA community will happen during school governance team meetings and during student ambassador meetings.

 

 

Sources:

IBO Academic Integrity Manual: https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/new-structure/programmes/shared-resources/pdfs/academic-integrity-policy-en.pdf

Daystar Academy Academic Integrity Policy: https://www.daystaracademy.org/uploaded/email_files/PYP_Academic_Honest_policy.pdf?1576862261530

Parkside Elementary School Academic Integrity Policy

Beecher Hills Elementary School Academic Integrity Policy

Philosophy

At Burgess-Peterson Academy, language is a vital instrument for international understanding, intercultural awareness, intellectual growth, and open-minded global citizenship for the 21^st century and beyond. We believe infusing language into all subject areas is a fundamental practice, supporting that all teachers are language teachers sharing the responsibility of developing communication. We believe language development is a process established utilizing inquiry within a balanced, transdisciplinary approach. Our approach creates knowledgeable connections promoting a global perspective with emphasis on; listening, speaking, reading, viewing, and writing.

We believe in providing real life, authentic experiences connected to beliefs and values that support multiculturalism among our students and the community. Teachers value each student’s unique background, experiences and learning style. Our goal is to make our students life-long lovers of learning, caring citizens, responsible risk-takers and effective communicators. Our belief also includes valuing students’ independent use of language as a way of expressing, relating, and self-assessing their own growth and progress.

Language Practices

Language instruction within the Primary Years Programme at Burgess-Peterson Academy includes reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing skills, interpreting and understanding drawings and other visual displays. Language skills mastery is essential for enrichment and life-long learning. Students need multiple opportunities and varied experiences to build the skills needed in the classroom. The following are the components of our language-based instruction:

Reading	Writing	Listening/Speaking/Viewing
Concepts of Print; Environmental print, guided reading, leveled reading materials in all genres, Wilson Language Fundations for explicit phonics instruction Phonemic Awareness: Rhymes, poetry, songs, literacy centers Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching phonics Fluency/Vocabulary/Comprehension: Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading and Leveled Readers Accelerated Reader Program to incent student growth in time with print	Reflections on Units of Inquiry Graphic Organizers (thinking maps, Venn diagrams, etc…) Reports Individual and class-made books Writing across content areas Writing journals	Computer based learning activities Listening centers Role-play activities Oral projects and presentations Guest readers

The media center provides resources for literacy including a growing collection of multicultural and multilingual text, videos, audio/visual equipment, and computer usage both for individual and group research. Assessment of literacy knowledge and skills is both formal and informal using language practices above.

 

Methods and Programs:

The teachers and support staff utilize a variety of methods to support language across subject areas. We strive to meet a wide range of learning styles by differentiating instruction and creating engaging lessons in the following experiences:

• Hegherty Phonemic Awareness Lessons
• Wilson Language-Fundations for explicit phonics instruction
• Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching phonics
• Accelerated Reader to enhance and increase time with print and foster a love of reading
• Interactive Read Alouds
• Shared reading and writing
• Current Events- magazines, newspapers, etc…

 

Specialists Supporting Language Acquisition (Visual Art, Music, Physical Education)

Art Practices	Music Practices	Physical Education Practices
-Analysis / discussion of cultural art and technique derived from student population and guest artists -Word Wall -Reflection-creative writing in association with art and expression (ie; Frederick Douglass) -Literature -Story sharing -Analysis, discussion and creation of art with emphasis on aesthetic variances to beauty	-Introduction to songs in languages other than English -Reading of musical notation -Literature-Poetry and song correlations, storytelling -Incorporation of drama combined with musical drama/comedy	-Use of task cards / visual cues -Use of content specific language based on PE classroom and regular classroom content -Word Wall -Kinesthetic role play

 

Support Staff and Services

Due to diverse backgrounds and prior educational experiences, BPA recognizes that students come to us with a wide variety of readiness and ability. In order to meet the needs of every student support is given through the following pathways and programs:

• MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) – MTSS provides a positive problem-solving process to identify strategies and programs that may alleviate academic, attendance, or behavioral issues a student may demonstrate.
• EIP (Early Intervention Program) - EIP serves students at risk of not reaching or maintaining academic grade level performance in reading and/or mathematics. Teachers implement the program using an inclusion, reduced class size or pull-out model. Within these models, teachers provide additional instructional support to help students who are below grade level obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time.
• Gifted and Talented – serves students by enhancing critical thinking, problem solving, abstract thinking and creativity skills and talents.
• Special Education Program – serves students by providing specific support services, strategies and/or supportive staff for specific learning or medical needs in the least restrictive learning environment based upon Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Currently, BPA has four students whose mother tongue is not English including Russian, Ukrainian, Farsi, and Arabic. As part of the Atlanta Public Schools, we have support for these students in place to aid in their transition of learning via a new language. This support is summarized here.

The goal of the Atlanta Public Schools ESOL program is to enhance language acquisition and to introduce and practice/develop transdisciplinary skills used in the classroom. Students enter the program through the following process: First, a home language survey is given to all students to identify the mother-tongue language spoken in the home. Based on survey results, students whose home language is not English are given a district approved assessment, the W-APT (WIDA ACCESS Placement Test) to determine eligibility in the ESOL program. The ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension communication English State – to State) is given in the winter to determine eligibility and language proficiency level for the upcoming year. The ESOL teacher is responsible for assessing students’ language proficiency on a regular basis. The identification of proficiency determines eligibility in the ESOL program.

The ESOL program develops the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listening and speaking skills are developed through choral reading, question and answer exercises, shared-inquiry discussions, and the use of technology. Reading and writing skills are developed through phonics instruction of target language, visual and real-life models for the development of vocabulary, and materials/literature used in classroom to enhance skill development in order for students to participate more independently in the classroom.

District level ESOL department provides workshops and meetings with teachers and parents on an as-needed basis to familiarize each group with goals/expectations of the program and learning strategies to help classroom instruction and support strategies for the home.

World Language Instruction (Spanish)

Spanish is Burgess-Peterson’s second language of instruction for grades 2-5. Spanish classes provide an immersive language and teachers commit to speaking Spanish at least 50% of the time. Movement, music, art, drama, and food are used to teach the target language and culture. Student in grades 2, 3, 4, 5 participate in Spanish class twice weekly for 35 minutes. The Spanish teacher has a dedicated classroom space which she arranges and decorates to support language acquisition.

The Spanish teacher reinforces the grade level curriculum by making connections with language arts, reading, math, social studies, science, music, physical education, and art. Thematic units in Spanish class overlap and link directly, whenever possible, to our IB Planners. Spanish instruction includes listening, speaking, reading, writing and expression.

Roles and Responsibilities

BPA is committed to developing our understanding and implementation of the IB program standards and practices in relation to teaching and learning. We are informed regarding current research and best practices and language learning through district workshops, professional learning communities, conferences, and in-school redelivery. BPA relies on the support of our district and our Parent Teacher Association to further our work and training and for the provision of additional resources to support our implementation of our Programme of Inquiry.

The BPA Pedagogical Leadership Team serves as the policy team, ensuring the language policy is re-evaluated and revised as appropriate. Collaborative planning and IB training will ensure that teachers are familiar with the PYP philosophies. Teachers, support staff, and administrators are responsible for communicating policies to all Burgess-Peterson constituents. The principal, PYP Coordinator, Instructional Coaches and district program coordinators are responsible for professional development regarding language teaching and learning. BPA communicates policies via the school website, newsletters, e-blast, and PTA/School Governance Meetings. This communication of the policy guarantees its implementation, comprehension, and support by a wide assortment of constituents.

The faculty and staff of Burgess-Peterson recognize that language is a vital instrument for learning, communication, and expression. We further believe that ALL teachers are language teachers. To promote inquiry-based language learning within the context of the PYP, we understand that language instruction takes place all day, across all subjects.

The Primary Years Programme faculty agrees that language learning at BPA will:

• Be consistent and age appropriate
• Support the development of skills, understanding and instruction of English and Spanish
• Be differentiated to meet the needs of learning styles of all students, including but not limited to those needing special services
• Be reflected in the programme of inquiry, transdisciplinary planners and individual lesson plans
• Furthermore, the PYP faculty agrees to:
• Work with all students to achieve mastery of the essential skills – reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing
• Utilize a variety of materials to enhance the development of language skills.

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